(Courtesy photo/Hector Avila)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
The San Benito Greyhounds didn’t allow the playoff-bound Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers to win comfortably in a District 32-6A game last Friday as they lost by a slim 28-18 score at Bobby Morrow Stadium.
Now the Greyhounds will enter the annual Battle of the Arroyo this Friday against the underperforming Harlingen Cardinals (5-4 record) with one victory in eight games.
The loss against the Chargers guaranteed San Benito, which was also a playoff-qualifying team going into the game, its worst overall record in head coach Dan Gomez’s 11-year tenure. The 2013 season under then coach Spencer Gantt, finished 3-7.
In their game against the Chargers, the Greyhounds once again played from behind, spotting their foe a 21-point lead.
Veterans Memorial never attempted a pass under quarterback Sergio Sosa, but the senior did score twice on second quarter runs of 19 and 11 yards.
Initially, the Chargers scored on their opening offensive drive highlighted by Alvin Trevillion’s four-yard tote. But as in several other times this year, San Benito never let their opponent get too comfortable as the game went on.
The Greyhounds only had three first half offensive drives, scoring at the 1:40 mark of the second quarter. Sophomore quarterback Albert Gonzalez found wide receiver Tyler Ruiz for a 41-yard score.
Ruiz sneaked past the Chargers’ secondary, waiting for the pass to sail his way, walking into the end zone after the catch.
Unfortunately for San Benito, all three of its point after attempts were unsuccessful. However, Coach Gomez’s decision to defer to receive the kickoff in the second half proved effective.
The Greyhounds ate up a chunk of third quarter clock in their opening offensive drive, ending with junior running back Tommy Ramirez’s seven-yard rush. Gomez said, at this point of the game, the team felt the momentum shift.
Like San Benito’s time-consuming drive, the Chargers did the same in the game, forcing the home team to go to the air often.
When San Benito did close the Veterans Memorial lead to within single digits, the Chargers responded by extending their lead on a Trevillion 14-yard TD in the fourth quarter.
San Benito offensive players were resilient taking six minutes to produce another scoring drive, getting positive yardage on a couple of fourth downs. This time they had 13 plays, culminating with junior Victor Rodriguez’s one-yard scoring runs.
“Our kids came out fighting. That’s what we ask from them every week; that’s what they did tonight,” Gomez said. “They have never disappointed us with the fight they bring the entire game.”
Statistically, ‘Hounds quarterback Gonzalez earned just over 100 yards on 11-of-15 pass completions. Teammate Ramirez earned more than 80 yards rushing 16 times.
Chargers quarterback Sosa had more than 170 yards, most of it in the first half.
San Benito will close out the regular season at Harlingen’s Boggus Stadium. Comparatively, the Cardinals lost to Veterans Memorial, 40-9, several weeks ago.
The Cardinals’ last two games had them slip past Brownsville Hanna, 10-6, and lose to Los Fresnos, 36-14.
“It’s a rivalry game that we have coming up,” Gomez said. “I know we are going to be up for it.”
Recent Comments